Chapter Eighteen: The Phantom of Whitechapel
"We must let go of the life we have planned, so as to accept the one that is waiting for us." ~ Joseph Campbell
*This chapter and the next take the place of the Phantom of Whitechapel arc in the manga*
August 31st, 1879
London, England, United Kingdom, Europe
Marie looked up from her book on poisons to someone knocking at her door. With a frown, she set her book aside and stood, adjusting the skirts of her walking dress as she went.
Marie had gone for a walk around the Moriarty Estate that morning after breakfast as the day's duties were divided out. Sebastian, Bond, Fred, and Louis all had a job in London, which meant she would have the day to herself. She opened the door.
Bond stood on the other side, looking mildly disheveled but otherwise unharmed.
"What can I do for you, James? How did your errand go?" She asked, and he gestured down the hall,
"It went brilliantly. But William is summoning us. He would like for us to meet in the parlor." He explained, and she nodded,
"Just let me change into my afternoon dress, and I'll be right down." She excused herself and shut the door again. She plucked a dress from her wardrobe and headed to the bathroom, where she stripped out of her walking dress and began the process of dressing in her afternoon dress.
It was a lovely burgundy color and made of taffeta. It had a short train and a scooping neckline with short sleeves and a small bustle. She donned the dress as quickly as she could and slid her gloves back on. Today she had selected thick, white satin gloves that reached her elbows. Finally, she repinned her hair in a tight bun at the back of her head and slid on her boots.
Approaching the parlor, she could hear the voice of someone she didn't recognize. It sounded like that of an older man. She came to a halt before the door and knocked lightly. Louis opened the door and ushered her in. Marie came face to face with an older man with long white hair in a ponytail and kind eyes. He was in the process of buckling knives to his upper thighs and around his waist when he noticed her.
The man dipped into a low bow, and she blinked. Did she look the part of a noblewoman? Or was he just being polite?
"I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting Ms..." He said, and William stood from his place on the couch.
"Marie, this is Jack Reinfeld. Jack, this is Marie Dubois. She's our resident toxicologist." He explained, and Jack stood from his bow, offering Marie a kind smile.
"It's a pleasure, Ms. Dubois." She shook his outstretched hand and smiled in return,
"Please, just Marie is fine." She replied, and he nodded with a quiet "ah." William gestured for Marie to take a seat.
"Now, let us begin. We have much to discuss."
…
Marie sat at her desk later that night as the plan with Jack the Ripper was put into action and stared at the letter in her hand. It was written in Albert's careful, cursive handwriting, and she read the words over and over again, heart thundering in her ears.
"Marie,
I request your presence on my next mission—not from MI6, but from William. He asks that we kill Lord Victor Christie. I understand that it may be difficult to face him after all these years. But I feel I can ask no one else.
If you accept this mission, meet me on the doorsteps of the manor. I will pick you up at ten o'clock PM. If not, give the letter to Louis and have him meet me instead. If you decide to come with me, pack an overnight bag.
Sincerely,
Albert"
It was short and to the point. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was the target. Could Marie really face Lord Christie after all these years? He had broken her hands. Could she really handle seeing him again?
But…
It was Albert asking. She felt like she couldn't say no to him. Marie glanced at the clock. It was nearing ten o'clock. If she was going to go with him, she should get ready and pack an overnight bag.
With her mind made up, Marie stood from her desk and dressed in her walking dress from earlier that day. Then, she reached underneath her bed for her suitcase and packed a few dresses inside. She wasn't sure what the situation was that she would be in, so she packed a dress for day-to-day activities and also a dress for if she was to attend a ball. Keep it simple and easy to keep track of. Just as she was going to leave, she stopped.
Would she need poison?
Most likely.
She set her suitcase down and headed to her shelves of poisons.
Which one should she take?
After a moment of deliberation, she selected arsenic and slipped it into her suitcase. She liked arsenic as it was simple yet painful and nearly undetectable in post-mortem examinations. Then, picking up the bag, she left her room, shutting the door carefully behind her. The walk to the front door was silent and eerie. She was the only one home; everyone else was out on William's mission save for Albert, who was presumably waiting for her.
Reaching the front doors and opening them, she came face to face with a discreet carriage. It didn't have the usual Moriarty family crest plastered on the sides, but the door was open, and Albert was waiting. He smiled at her and offered a hand to step up into the carriage. She took it gratefully and stepped inside, setting her suitcase on the seat next to her. Albert climbed in after a brief word with the driver, sat across from her, and then they were off.
They sat for several minutes in silence before Marie spoke up,
"Why are we targeting Lord Christie?" She asked quietly, and Albert hummed as he mulled over his words.
"After your story, William had me look into Lord Christie's endeavors using MI6 resources, and we discovered he was embezzling money and funds from multiple other nobles. He's also been accused of abuse towards his wife, Lady Bonnie Christie, but there's no hard evidence as he pays police officers to cover his tracks." He explained, and Marie sat back in her seat. So she had been right. Lord Christie had abused Lady Christie.
Albert reached across the carriage and set a hand on her knee, looking her in the eye, and smiled that smile of his.
"I also felt his treatment of you should not pass. So I advocated for this mission to take place. I hope you can find some closure with it." He said, and Marie paused. Albert knew she needed closure? Of course, he did. He was a genius. It wasn't hard to figure out either. Anyone would need closure after what had happened to her. She looked down at her hands and fidgeted with the fabric of her skirts.
"Right, what do we do when we get there?" She asked after a moment of deliberation, and Albert's smile grew slightly more sinister.
"Alright, listen closely…."
